bountiful

we had our first harvest from our garden today... a banana pepper.  we promptly chopped it up and had it in our tacos for dinner.

this way

another wonderland craft... i made several of these signs for throughout the yard.  wooden stakes and foam core board from michael's plus free alice in wonderland font downloaded from the web.  total cost for 8 signs = less than $20.

birthday princess

through the looking glass

my favorite project of them all.  and it really wasn't planned - it just kinda happened at the very end.  i bought the glittery reflective foam board to use for monster jam signs but we didn't use it.  then i noticed the unfinished mirror frames at michael's and the idea was born.  i just painted the mirror frames, cut a piece of foam board to fit each, and then printed "through the looking glass" in an alice wonderland font i downloaded from the web.  then i strung them together with fishing line and hung them from a shepherd's hook so they';d twirl and sparkle in the breeze.  i know it won't last forever, but i left it up because i like it so much :)

cup of petunias

so the funky pinterest planter tower i mentioned wanting to do a few weeks ago did not work out.  i think it would work with regular pots that taper at the bottom but it just didn't work with the tea cups.  so instead, we just did a couple of small stacks.

still cute, i think

chopped

we submitted the intake paperwork to get into the ADHD clinic at CHOP last fall when Q's problems first started.  the waiting list is 7+ months long, so on tuesday, we finally got in.

it was a little weird since he's barely had any problems since leaving the stupid daycare, but we still believe it is the correct diagnosis.  i was a little worried that they'd say there was absolutely nothing wrong with him.

the doctor asked us a bunch of questions, had Q do some tests, and just generally observed him.  she did confirm the diagnosis.  we thought there might be a chance to get him some occupational therapy to help with his handwriting, but he is within normal tolerances so no go on that.

the best news is that we are now on CHOP's radar.  he will continue to go there every six months or so, to monitor his progress and make any changes in his care if necessary. hopefully all will remain well when he starts first grade, but if not, we've now got this in our back pocket.

one man's trash...

is another's perfect tea party chair

our neighbors across the street put this out on trash night a few weeks before caroline's party. we snatched it right up!

painting the roses red

in an attempt to recreate this scene:

 we decorated our arborvitae with white and red roses (silk, of course)

tea cup planters

i promise a full party recap will come eventually. still recovering. but for now, here's another party craft.

i painted three sets of these tea cup and saucer planters. the unfinished ceramic tea cups are from oriental trading company. i like the mad hatter and cheshire cat best.

following in frampa's tire tracks...

done-derland

yes

it will be the death of me

this alice party...

might be the death of me

sneak peaks of some more crafts tomorrow!

weed

caroline is one. she has grown an inch and a half since march 15th. she was still rocking the 3T clothes, but this past week, they started to look completely ridiculous. the ballet slippers she wore in her recital on mother's day did not fit two weeks later for her first week of summer dance camp.

who told her to grow?? 

last day of kindergarten!

today was Q's last day of kindergarten.

i cannot believe how much he has changed since the beginning of the school year.  i had low expectations after we got emailed about him behavior on the first day of kindergarten, but ever since we switched daycares, it's all good.

Q's last report card for the year was wonderful.  almost straight p's (only handwriting remains a challenge.)  woo hoo!

dance photos

another t-ball pic

one of the other parents made this from a team shot after the last game

t-ball photos

caroline's spring daycare photos (round 1)

Q's spring daycare photos (round 2)

Q's spring daycare photos (round 1)

both kids' daycares had spring photos. both kids' daycares also had retakes because the first round didn't come out so well. ours were decent, so instead, I was suckered out of buying 2 sets of photos for each kid. maybe this is a new photog scam? Q did kinda need a haircut in these.

picture palooza

i finally got around to scanning in a bunch of various kid photos.

first, soccer photos from last fall. i don't think i ever posted these, but if i did, here they are again! 

coupons!

Q made daddy his first ever set of kid coupons for father's day.  one said "clean quentin's room"  (well, rom, actually.)

daddy was most excited about that one.

unfortunately Q had it backwards, and believed that daddy would clean his room for him because of the coupon.

when he learned how the coupons are actually supposed to work, Q revoked them immediately.

daddy day

all about daddy... by pickle

monster jam princess

american idol here he comes

Q's daycare also had their spring show today. the kindergarteners put on quite a show. (sorry for the epileptic video...) 

the pledge

k-i-n-d-e-r-g-a-r-t-e-n

the kids spelled out kindergarten in a poem. Q knew his lines very well. of course, caroline knows them too. 

the graduate

while i am generally not a proponent of the "everyone gets a trophy" phenomenon that has permeated childhood these days, i do have to admit that little guys in caps and gowns are super duper cute.

Q had his first kindergarten graduation today (at his daycare which is also a private kindergarten.)

there was singing and reciting and awards.  Q was awarded the "most improved" prize, which is totally accurate.  yay Q.  you've come a long way from getting expelled from that crappy daycare (curious how as soon as he got out of that hellhole, everything started getting better...)

i am totally in love with his "official" portrait below.

cheep

this is caroline's "pet" bird. "he" is a fledgling sparrow that lives in one of the bazillion bird nests in my parking garage at work. "his" name is cheep, because he, you know, cheeps. "his" nest must be right above my usual parking spot because cheep has been hanging out waiting for us all week long, when we get there each morning and when we leave each evening. wonder if "he" will still be there on monday when we go back there next?

donuts for dad

Q's daycare had "donuts for dad" today. they made these lovely ties together.

not our problem anymore.

our former richmond house is on the market again.  i barely recognized the inside but the outside is mostly the same.  it's been back on the market for 3 months.  they've only dropped the price $5000 in that time.  i'll feel bad for them when they've been on the market for 16 months and have to sell it for less than they paid for it.

only changes i can see on the front: they added some sort of dark trim around the portico and replaced the ivy along the pathway with less intrusive foliage.

dining room isn't red anymore.  but i think that's still our chandelier.

the hallway is no longer emerald.  now also beige.

 the completely redid the kitchen: new paint, new light fixtures, new appliances, new granite counter tops, new backsplash, new island, and some additional cabinetry.  more beige.

 living room too: new paint, new hardwood floors, and they filled in the tv hole above the fireplace.  more beige.

 totally still our ceiling fan though.  and the shade on the backdoor too.  we did that.

 master bedroom is back to light blue (we had it brick red.)  but again still my ceiling fan.  i guess i have good taste in ceiling fans?

they installed ceiling fans / light fixtures in the other two bedrooms where previously there was no overhead lighting.

and painted, of course

master bathroom is unchanged.  that's actually the sage green paint it was when we bought it.

 guest bathroom has a new light fixture, new sink and new floor.

and other than butchering the bottom 6 feet of the big evergreen tree, they've done absolutely nothing to the outside.

 in fact, i'm quite proud.  i bought that line of boxwoods along the back fence at walmart for $3 each.  they were tiny.

oh and they apparently finished off the attic.  but there's no pictures of that.